The Ralph Smeed Foundation erects billboard comparing President Obama to Aurora shooter James Holmes. It is reprehensible and goes too far, but plays into the right wing’s scare tactics to get voters nervous enough to vote for Mitt Romney. The group said the billboard, which is located on Franklin Road, is meant to draw attention to military men and women dying overseas, KBOI2 reports.

Um, sorry, but this is way over the line. If you want to draw people’s attention to military men and women dying overseas, you don’t use the picture of the man who singlehandedly carried out the worst shooting massacre in this country’s history and compare the President to him. In fact, more soldiers died in Iraq and Afghanistan after former president George W. Bush landed on the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln on May 1, 2003, saying “mission accomplished.”

Equating President Obama’s foreign policies, which have largely been successful, to the reprehensible and despicable acts of James Holmes is an affront to the 12 people who were killed and the 58 wounded, as well as their families. Using one of the worst tragedies in American history to take a jab at President Obama is just despicable.

They seem to agree with (enjoy?) the caption over President Obama, “Kills Thousands with his Foreign Policy”

I think its a good comparison. I believe they are trying to get us to start paying attention to what Obama is really doing. The American people have let too many things slide that Obama has done. If Americans don’t wake up soon and take back control we will all be worse off than we are now.

[Ralph’s efforts to defend and promote the principles of liberty have touched many people over the years. Among some of the more illustrious beneficiaries was U. S. Senator Steve Symms…and…C.L. “Butch Otter”, present governor of Idaho.]

Senator Symms accused (falsely) that there was a picture of Kitty Dukakis burning an American flag in the 1960’s and current Governon Otter… well he can speak for himself:

[Otter was pulled over on Interstate 84 near Meridian, Idaho for suspicion of driving under the influence. He claimed the arresting officer observed him swerving as he was reaching for his cowboy hat, which had been blown off by the wind in his open car. Otter offered several explanations for failing the field sobriety test including: his stocking feet were stung by weeds and gravel, he had run eight miles and his knee hurt, he was hungry, and that he had soaked his chewing tobacco in Jack Daniels.]

Really? I’m sorry, but if you’re going to talk about war casualties you have to look at the whole picture. If McCain had been elected would we be out if Iraq now? Would we have a plan in place to leave Afghanistan in the near future? I don’t think so. The billboard is asinine. Another extremist who understands nothing of context, whether in words or actions.

dduck

Without bringing up Clinton, Bush, or McCain, let me just say this guy is an a_______, and his views are asinine.

RP

If the author of this article would have completed more reseaarch, she would have found that Ralph Smeed Foundation is a Libertarian foundation and not associated with teh Repuiblican party.

From the Ralph Smeed foundattion website…”There is a wealth of information on this site. The Libertarian message, free-market principles, property rights, and common sense ideas – all compiled to bring you to an understanding that every nation, throughout history, that has embraced statism, has ultimately collapsed”

Just like so much on the internet today about Obama that has no truth or little truth behind the story, so too is there an attempt by those on the far left to place blame for some actions the republican party or members have nothing to do with.

Its time that people begin telling the truth, stop taking sound bites and twisting those, stop taking comments out of context and begin presenting positions of both candidates and the parties truthfully. Had this been done the comment “It is reprehensible and goes too far, but plays into the right wing’s scare tactics to get voters nervous enough to vote for Mitt Romney” would not have been written. This is no better than the right calling Obama a socialist that wants to make America a socialist country. There is little truth to that statement either.

There may be alot of truth in this billboard given the needless deaths of thousands of US servicemen and women in Iraq and Afghanistan, but using the CO. shootings is tasteless, shows complete stupidity and should be rebuffed for what it is. One organiztions ignorance and nothing more.

RP

By the way..
Jim Satterfield said “Another extremist who understands nothing of context, whether in words or actions.”

dduck said “and his views are asinine.”

This was the actions of a foundation. Ralph Smeed died in 2010.

SteveK

@RP
It appears you didn’t take time to read any of the pro / con comments in the Idaho link.

The feedback this story is receiving shows that whether or not the Ralph Smeed Foundation is affiliated with the Republican Party.

Republicans and the other right wing-nutters are drawn like flies to &#!t in support of this sign. They’ve posted oodles of ignorant, uneducated comments showing support and backing to both the tone and message the sign delivers.

SteveK

@RP
It appears you didn’t take time to read any of the pro / con comments in the Idaho link.

The feedback this story is receiving shows that whether or not the Ralph Smeed Foundation is affiliated with the Republican Party, Republicans and the other right wing-nutters are drawn like flies to &#!t in support of this sign.

They’ve posted oodles of ignorant, uneducated comments showing support and backing to both the tone and message the sign delivers.

dduck

Dead men don’t have views? Next thing will be that corporations don’t have them and can’t spend oodles of money expressing them.
What’s this country coming to

zephyr

Thanks Steve for your comments. Facing up to shameless tactics and the trashing of standards is the only sane response. Obfuscation and/or apologism is in effect enabling. This sort of crap is typical rightwing loonie/hate/lie behavior and is designed to appeal to the same. Call it what it is.

RP

SteveK..Ok I accessed KBOI2 link again and the Hindeland link. I do not see anything in their reports that the…. “Republicans and the other right wing-nutters are drawn like flies to &#!t in support of this sign.”

Can you provide the links that indicate all the Republicans in that area support this sign? Would like to read that info.

But I did say in my original comments…”There may be alot of truth in this billboard given the needless deaths of thousands of US servicemen and women in Iraq and Afghanistan, but using the CO. shootings is tasteless, shows complete stupidity and should be rebuffed for what it is. One organiztions ignorance and nothing more.

Those that support it are just as ignorant.

SteveK

@RP – I said:

“The feedback this story is receiving shows that whether or not the Ralph Smeed Foundation is affiliated with the Republican Party, Republicans and the other right wing-nutters are drawn like flies to &#!t in support of this sign.”

Read the 866+ comments and decide for yourself who approves of this sign and it’s message… And who doesn’t.

zephyr

Bingo. If it looks like a skunk, walks like a skunk, and smells like a skunk… well guess what? It probably IS a skunk.

SteveK

RP says: ”There may be alot of truth in this billboard given the needless deaths of thousands of US servicemen and women in Iraq and Afghanistan…

Shame on you RP.

The Iraq and Afghanistan Wars were both started UNILATERALLY by the neo-cons that were running the Bush [sic] Administration.

4,029 US troops died during President Bush’s time in office and 1,643 under President Obama. (2.5x more casualties during the Bush years)

President Obama’s Administration has successfully withdrawn American Troops from Iraq and is winding down Operation Enduring Freedom much to the Republicans chagrin.

I was wondering how long it would take for the light bulb to go off that this billboard would have made more sense with a picture of Bush. It still stinks, as in skunk.

dduck

I was wondering how long it would take for the light bulb to go off that this billboard would have made more sense with a picture of Bush. It still stinks, as in skunk; can’t duck that.

DORIAN DE WIND, Military Affairs Columnist

I fully agree with you, Steve, everything on the billboard is shameful, disgraceful and both factually and technically a lie.

Factually, Obama was not awarded the Nobel Prize for any war, but rather for”his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples. The Committee has attached special importance to Obama’s vision of and work for a world without nuclear weapons.”etc.

Technically, Obama had been in office for nine months when he was awarded the Prize, had just inherited bot the Iraq and Afghanistan wars from his predecessor and if one wants to compare the number of casualties under Obama vs.Bush at the time,one needs to significantly reduce the figures under Obama as cited by Steve above.

There is absolutely no intellectual, moral or political rationalization for this scummy ad.

bluebelle

I think we need to remember that both Ron and Rand Paul are both Libertarians who are essentially Republicans. Paul came the closest to challenging Romney at the Republican Convention.

It is just pathetic that a billboard like this is put up without any regard for the fact that
Obama’s opponent has sounded the war drums against Iran which would certainly risk more troops’ lives than either Iraq or Afghanistan.

zephyr

“There is absolutely no intellectual, moral or political rationalization for this scummy ad.”

Right you are Dorian. It’s a blatant appeal to the knuckledraggers. The good news is that the sort of person the ad appeals to might also be incapable of locating his or her local polling place. 😉

SteveK

Thanks Dorian!

Dorian says: … if one wants to compare the number of casualties under Obama vs.Bush at the time,one needs to significantly reduce the figures under Obama as cited by Steve above.

I agree. The reason I included 2009 on President Obama’s side of the sheet is because someone would have raised a ruckus about “Obama had it in 2009” and since even with the overstated numbers the argument:

”There may be alot of truth in this billboard given the needless deaths of thousands of US servicemen and women in Iraq and Afghanistan…”

Is still overblown and ridiculous.

DORIAN DE WIND, Military Affairs Columnist

Thanks Steve and Zephyr.

Steve, I know I worded it awkwardly but what I meant is, since Obama had only been in office nine months when he received the Nobel Prize– the basis for the vile accusation — “technically,” “only” nine months worth of Iraq and Afghanistan casualties should be included in Obama’s
side if one wanted to accuse Obama of “killing thousands” vs. several times that many for Bush.

Idaho is a very special place and probably has a higher percentage of nut cases than any other state. I lived in Coeur d’Alene for a year and the mountains NE of the city were a place the police wouldn’t even go. My wife and I took a little day trip shortly after we moved there and I described the adventure to my fellow employees the following Monday. They were shocked and made it clear that was not a place any sane person would go. They informed me that people disappear up there.

zephyr

Too bad. It’s beautiful country.

DaGoat

The billboard is ridiculous.

I can’t believe all the rationalizing of Obama’s actions in a futile Afghanistan war. His ill-advised surge served only to sacrifice more US lives for nothing. And forgive me for not being impressed it only took Obama 6 years – if everything goes right – to end the Afghanistan war.

Did Obama’s actions lead to as many deaths as Bush – no. Was he still pretty bad – yes.

And yes Romney’s foreign policy will be even worse. That is no excuse for Obama’s actions.

StockBoyLA

The ad seems to be suggesting that Obama should leave Iraq and Afghanistan. Isn’t that what he’s doing? Hasn’t he withdrawn troops from both Iraq and Afghanistan? We’re not out yet, but we are making progress. At least we no longer have those inane “security alerts” the Bush administration was so free in using to keep Americans scared and voting for the war-mongering Republicans.

Also I’m not sure what the deeper philosophy of those who put up the billboard is. Are they suggesting that guns be restricted (since they’re talking about deaths caused be weapons) and are complaining about the deaths each person caused? I think the Aurora shooter and Obama have opposite views of gun control. This is neither a Republican nor libertarian philosophy.

The billboard (and it’s supporters) don’t appear to know what they’re talking about. Other than wanting to get ride of Obama…. and you don’t need to illogically (and reprehensibly) link the President of the United States with a mass murderer to do that.

The billboard WOULD make a lot of sense if it was coming from a liberal group with Bush in the place of Obama. (Though Bush never won a Nobel, the deeper sentiment is the same… Bush goes unpunished with seemingly unlimited power that he abused.)

ordinarysparrow

Here is a interesting graph of the war casualties by CNN..very sobering…